The key areas Nottingham Forest still need to strengthen this summer

Nottingham Forest have completed some quality business already in the transfer market but, here, Paul Taylor looks at the positions on the pitch where they need to strengthen - and at a few of the targets that could help them do exactly that

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And Algerian international forward El Arbi Hillel Soudani will be the next arrival, over the next 24 hours. While Forest could add another former Portuguese under-21 international to their ranks, if they can agree a deal with exciting winger Daniel Podence, who has made himself a free agent amid the chaos at Sporting CP.

But, while the rest of the Championship will already been taking note of the work done on the banks of the Trent, there is still plenty of room for more new additions.

Karanka will know as well as anyone that there are still key areas in which Forest need to strengthen – and work goes on to do exactly that.

Here, Paul Taylor takes a look at which positions the Reds still need to make additions if they are to forge a squad capable of challenging for a top six finish – and at the options the club have to do so.

Goalkeeper: Stephen Henderson and Stefanos Kapino are among the group of players regarded as being surplus to requirements at Forest this summer and the club are working to find them new clubs.

While Jordan Smith is regarded as being a bright prospect for the future, but also as somebody who is not yet ready to hold down the number one spot.

Goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon (Image: JMS Photography/Mark Fear)

Forest remain hopeful that a deal can be reached to bring Costel Pantilimon back to the City Ground on a permanent basis.

Watford are happy to do the deal, Forest want to make it happen and the only stumbling block so far has been agreeing a financial package with the player, who looked a capable, solid performer during his loan spell in the second half of last season.

As well as the Romanian international, Forest also have an interest in Porto stopper Jose Sa, who is another player represented by Jorge Mendes, the agent the club have enlisted the help of to bolster their squad this summer.

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The 25-year-old has seen his opportunities limited by the presence of Iker Casillas and might be lured to the City Ground by the prospect of regular first team football.

Forest head to Spain for their pre-season training camp on July 10 and Karanka will not want to head there without his first choice stopper in place.

Right-back: The decision to allow Eric Lichaj to move to Hull divided opinion among fans, with the American having been a reliable performer over the previous five years.

Forest’s plan was to replace him with the vastly experienced Alan Hutton, a defender with Premier League quality. And there is a case to be argued that this would indeed have made Forest stronger.

Alan Hutton has decided to stay at Villa (Image: Getty)

But Hutton’s decision to sign a new deal with Aston Villa, somewhat threw a spanner in the works for the Reds, who believed they had struck a deal to bring the 33-year-old to Nottingham.

Tendayi Darikwa gave a more accurate demonstration of his abilities in the final months of the campaign, following a slightly nervy start to his Reds career, as he returned to the city where he grew up, from Burnley.

But while he was much improved, Forest will nevertheless need more competition and cover on the right side of defence.

Sam Bryam would be an outstanding signing on loan, with the West Ham man regarded as one of the brightest prospects in the Championship, during his time at Leeds United.

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The 24-year-old joined the Hammers in 2016 for £3.8m but hasn't been a regular under Slaven Bilic or David Moyes and the arrival of Ryan Fredericks on a free transfer from Fulham has pushed him even further down the pecking order, with Pablo Zabaleta, having flourished in that position last season.

Forest have been linked with West Ham's Sam Byram

West Ham had wanted to sell Byram this summer, to bolster their transfer kitty – but are now understood to be willing to consider a season-long loan move, with Forest at the head of the queue.

Left-back: It would not feel quite right if Forest did not head into the summer needing to sign at least one left-back, would it?

It has become almost a tradition at the City Ground for this to be a problem position.

Juan Fuentes’ broken leg put an end to his hopes of earning a longer contract last season, Armand Traore is another player Forest are working to move on this summer and Danny Fox is now a far more assured performer in the centre of defence.

Ben Osborn can play there, as he capably demonstrated in the final months of the campaign. But he is very much regarded as being a midfield option, by Karanka.

Forest are keen on Fabio, the Middlesbrough defender, who Karanka signed at the Riverside two years ago, from Cardiff.

The Brazilian, who began his career in England with Manchester United, is a player Karanka knows very well – and is also capable of doing a job at right-back, which is the kind of versatility the Reds boss values highly.

Fabio is under contract for the coming campaign, having seen a clause in his contract activated over the summer.

Fabio Da Silva

But, while he did make fairly frequent sub appearances in the final weeks, he did not start a single game under Tony Pulis, who is unlikely to stand in the way of the 27-year-old’s departure, if the two clubs can agree a fee for the player.

In the meantime, all feels right with the world, as Forest look to sign a left-back, yet again.

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Central midfield/deep lying midfielder: This is an area of the pitch where Forest are already pretty well stocked, with the likes of Ben Watson, Adlene Guedioura and Osborn all available to slot into the two positions normally favoured by Karanka within his preferred 4-2-3-1 approach.

But the Spaniard remains keen to resume the relationship that had started to build between Watson and Jack Colback.

Patience may be required if Forest want to bring Colback back to the City Ground, along with some keen negotiating skills, with the former Sunderland man currently drawing a Premier League pay packet.

But Forest remain hopeful that an agreement can be reached, to bring him back, either on another loan move or on a permanent basis.

Colback is the kind of player who’s contribution can go under the radar, as a neat and tidy performer who has the positional sense and intelligence to be in the right place at the right time, to win back possession and quietly get his side moving in the right direction again.

Jack Colback on the ball at the City Ground (Image: JMS Photography/Mark Fear)

Andreas Bouchalakis showed in patches what he is capable of, but was a player who was somehow incapable of producing average performances – he was either very, very good or anonymous in the games he played for Forest last season.

He is likely to move on and it is an area where Karanka is hugely keen to strengthen, with Braga’s defensive midfielder Nikola Vukcevic – another client of Mendes – also understood to be on their list of potential signings.

The 26-year-old Montenegro international, like Colback, would be another hugely encouraging signing.

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With the trio of Dias, Goncalves and Carvalho having arrived to add genuine, exciting attacking threat to the Forest ranks in the final third, Karanka understands the value of having a solid, stoic defensive midfield pairing behind them – but also of having players with the passing ability and drive to make the team tick.

Striker: Soudani has a handy scoring record on the international stage, having netted 21 goals in 41 matches for Algeria since his debut in 2011, which makes him his country’s sixth highest goalscorer in their history.

Forest will hope he can replicate that form for them, if he comes through his medical over the next 24 hours and the final details of his move are confirmed.

El Arbi Hillel Soudani is close to joining Forest (Image: Getty)

But that is unlikely to be the end of their business, when it comes to forward additions.

Ben Brereton remains an exciting, raw talent with a Premier League future, if he can maintain a steady learning curve. And Daryl Murphy will get the opportunity to prove he can shake off the injury and personal problems that badly stifled his impact in the second half of last season.

But Apostolos Vellios will be allowed to move on this summer and the key words for Forest and their manager, as they look to bolster their squad are ‘Championship experience’ and ‘proven goalscorer’.

Peterborough’s lofty £6.5m price tag on the head of Jack Marriott has quelled Forest’s interest in a player who banged in more than 30 goals in League One last season, but who is yet to prove himself at a higher level, with Derby and Bristol City now leading the race to sign him.

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Lewis Grabban remains the man at the top of Forest’s list, with the striker having netted 20 goals in the Championship last season, during loan spells with struggling Sunderland and promotion chasing Aston Villa.

Similarly to Colback, the Bournemouth forward’s wages remain the biggest stumbling block – but not one the club believe will necessarily be insurmountable. Rival interest from Leeds could also prove to be a fly in the ointment.

In addition to Grabban, Karanka remains a big fan of Patrick Bamford, who is very much on Forest’s list of targets. Bamford would return a very different player to the 18-year-old who left the City Ground for Premier League Chelsea, with the forward having grown both physically and in terms of experience.

The 24-year-old has evolved into a player capable of playing either in the lone striker role, or in a deeper position, within the attacking three Karanka favours.

Soudani’s arrival could well prove to provide one piece of the jigsaw for Forest, but it still feels like another is missing.

Forest have done fantastic work in the transfer window so far but, if they are able to get a deal for Grabban, Bamford or even a player like Norwich's ex-Red Nelson Oliveira over the line, it may end up being the most important signing they make all summer.